Container for use in a washing process

Abstract

A container having a plurality of compartments wherein at least one compartment comprises a solid detergent composition and at least one compartment comprises a detergent composition which is in the form of a liquid or a gel and wherein adjacent compartments are arranged in a non-superposed or non-superposable relationship.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A container comprising a plurality of compartments each made of water-soluble film;
 wherein at least one compartment comprises a solid detergent composition and at least one compartment comprises a non-solid detergent composition; 
 wherein adjacent compartments are arranged in a non-superposed or non-superposable relationship; 
 wherein the container is made from an open strip comprising the compartments, which strip has been folded or rolled into its final configuration, said open strip comprising an internal film being a single piece of film forming at least one internal wall for each of the compartments, and an external perimeter film forming at least one external wall for each of the compartments; and 
 wherein the compartments are arranged in such a way that they are interleaved. 
 
     
     
       2. The container as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the container has a folded and unfolded configuration, and in its folded configuration comprises at least three compartments in its interior for holding contents of the container. 
     
     
       3. The container as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the container comprises from three to ten separate compartments;
 wherein in use, the container is subjected to a liquid comprising water; 
 wherein at least a portion of the compartments is formed of a water-soluble material; 
 wherein each compartment comprising a detergent composition is a closed compartment such that contents of one compartment cannot pass to another compartment prior to exposure of the container to a liquid comprising water; and 
 wherein upon use, at least portions of the water-soluble portions of the compartments dissolve to allow contents of the compartments to be released. 
 
     
     
       4. The container as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the container comprises between six and eight separate compartments. 
     
     
       5. The container as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the container comprises eight separate compartments. 
     
     
       6. The container as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of compartments is in the shape of a polyhedron. 
     
     
       7. The container as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein at least one polyhedron is of an irregular shape. 
     
     
       8. The container as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein at least one compartment is individually selected to have a different shape of polyhedron from at least one of the other compartments in the container. 
     
     
       9. The container as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein each polyhedron comprises from four to twelve faces and has from six to thirty edges. 
     
     
       10. The container as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the detergent compositions comprise machine cleaner dishwashing compositions. 
     
     
       11. A container comprising a plurality of separate compartments;
 wherein at least two compartments of the plurality of separate compartments comprise a detergent composition; 
 wherein adjacent compartments of the plurality of separate compartments are arranged in a non-superposed or non-superposable relationship; 
 wherein in use, the container is subjected to a liquid comprising water; 
 wherein at least a portion of each of the at least two compartments comprising the detergent composition is formed of a water-soluble material; 
 wherein each of the at least two compartments comprising the detergent composition is a closed compartment such that contents of one compartment cannot pass to another compartment prior to exposure of the container to a liquid comprising water; 
 wherein upon use, at least a portion of the water-soluble portions of the at least two compartments dissolve to allow contents of the at least two compartments to be released; 
 wherein the container is made from an open strip comprising the plurality of separate compartments, which strip has been folded or rolled into its final configuration, said open strip comprising an internal film being a single piece of film forming at least one internal wall for each of the plurality of separate compartments, and an external perimeter film forming at least one external wall for each of the plurality of separate compartments; and 
 wherein the plurality of separate compartments are arranged in such a way that they are interleaved. 
 
     
     
       12. The container as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein at least one compartment of the at least two compartments comprises a detergent composition that is different from the detergent composition in another compartment. 
     
     
       13. The container as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the detergent composition is selected from the group consisting of dishwashing detergent composition, laundry detergent composition, dishwasher machine cleaner composition, a detergent composition with an acidic formulation, a detergent composition with a surfactant-based formulation, a solid detergent composition, a liquid detergent composition, a gel detergent composition, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
       14. The container as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein each compartment of the at least two compartments comprises a different detergent composition from one another.